Page 126 of My Big, Fat, Accidental Billionaire Husband

I stare at my coffee, watching the surface ripple slightly from my unsteady hands. The logical part of my brain knows this is wrong. But logic has never been a match for the crushing weight of the guilt I carry when it comes to Nico.

“I could just tell Weiss the truth...” Nico warns. “About the marriage. About the whole annulment arrangement.”

“Are you fucking blackmailing me now?” I hiss, anger flaring.

“I prefer to think of it as leveraging my position,” he says with a shrug. “But if you want to call it blackmail, sure.”

I close my eyes briefly, feeling trapped. If I refuse, Nico could destroy everything. The resort deal. My company’s reputation. Tatiana’s privacy.

But if I agree, I’m betraying Tatiana in a way she might never forgive. Not that forgiveness matters when we’ll be going our separate ways in two days.

That’s what I tell myself, anyway.

It’s just an introduction.

“Fine,” I say finally, the word heavy with resignation. “I’ll arrange something. A dinner, maybe. But I’m not promising anything beyond an introduction.”

Nico’s face lights up with triumph. “That’s all I’m asking for, brother. A fair chance. We can talk about the rest of the money you owe me another time.”

I ignore that last comment and instead insist: “I need to know you won’t leak anything to Weiss. That you’ll stop meeting with him.”

“Deal,” he agrees quickly. “So when can we do this dinner?”

“I’ll set something up,” I say vaguely. “But I need time to arrange it properly.”

“Don’t take too long,” Nico warns. “Your clock is ticking, remember?”

I stand up, needing to escape before I change my mind or punch my brother, maybe both. “I need to go.”

“Already? We were just getting to the good part.”

“I have a company to run, Nico. A resort deal to finalize.”

He nods, that calculated half-smile returning. “Of course you do. Tell your wife I said hello.”

The implication that she won’t be my wife much longer hangs in the air between us.

“I’m serious about this, Dom,” he adds as I turn to leave. “I want to meet her. Soon.”

“I heard you the first time,” I reply coldly, then walk away before he can say anything else.

Outside, with my security team flanking me, the morning air does nothing to clear the sick feeling in my gut. I’ve just agreed to set up Tatiana with my brother. A man who’s using her as a pawn in whatever game he’s playing with me. A man who threatened to expose our arrangement if I didn’t comply.

What kind of man does that makeme?

One who deserves neither forgiveness nor love, a voice in my head answers.

I check my phone. Three missed calls from my lawyer Arthur, and a text from Tatiana asking where I’ve gone. I ignore both for now, needing space to think.

Two days left.

Then the annulment.

Then back to our separate lives.

So why does the thought of Nico pursuing Tatiana make me want to put my fist through his head?

Because you’ve already fallen for her,that same voice reminds me.And you just betrayed her in the worst possible fucking way.

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